With the start of the 1920s came the birth of a new type of women. She was called a flapper. With the start of World War I many young men from around the world were sent to the battlefield, most likely to die. The possibility of death made the soldiers think about their mortality and gave them an "eat, drink, and be merry" spirit. However, when the war finally ended, both boys and girls found it difficult to return to society's normal standards. The boys had fought against the enemy and death, and the girls had entered the workforce. Before the 1920s, women did not date, they only waited for a young man to propose to them. Now, however, because so many young men had died in the Great War, they decided that they were not going to wait around to become an old maid. They decided they were going to enjoy the rest of their young lives and break away from the old values.
The word "flapper" was first introduced in Great Britain after WWI to describe young women not yet in womanhood. Authors, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, and artists, such as John Held Jr., were the first to bring the term to the United States.
Flapper fashions of the 1920s. UPI/Corbis-Bettmann. Reproduced by permission.
Flappers looked quite different than their counterparts from the earlier time periods. The fast, energetic dances of the Roaring Twenties required free movement. To make the flapper's movement easier, practically every piece of clothing was trimmed down. To replace the pantaloons and corsets women wore underwear called "step-ins." The outer clothing of the flappers was also rather different. The flapper look was called "garconne" or "little boy". To look more like a boy and to look more young and innocent, flappers tightly wound their chests with strips of cloth in order to flatten them (BookRags). Flappers also dropped their waists to the hipline and wore rayon stockings (About.com). The flappers' haircuts were also rather short, starting with the "bob" and the even shorter cut, the "shingle" or the "Eton" cut. They also often wore a felt, bell-shaped hat, which was called a cloche. Make-up, which before had only been worn by loose women, was now popularized by flappers.
The flappers were quite different from Victorian Era women as they were characterized by stark truthfulness, fast living, and sexual behavior (About.com). Before the Roaring Twenties, only men had smoked. Now, flappers smoked as well. However, flappers also drank alcohol. This was even more rebellious, as the U.S. had outlawed alcohol at this time (Prohibition). Some flappers even carried hip-flasks.
A favorite pastime for flappers was dancing. These new dances, such as the Charleston, Black Bottom, and the Shimmy, were considered wild by the older generations (About.com). The car was also very popular with the flappers. The back seat of the car became a popular place for petting, a new sexual activity, and some even hosted petting parties (About.com). Flappers, unlike previous generations, were very sexual.
After a while, a calmer version of the flapper became popular among more respectable women, both young and old. Finally, with the stock market crash and the Great Depression, recklessness was no longer able to continue. Still, some changes brought about by flappers remained. "Within a couple of decades, the freedom to play would grow into the freedom for women to work alongside men as well" (BookRags).
The word "flapper" was first introduced in Great Britain after WWI to describe young women not yet in womanhood. Authors, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, and artists, such as John Held Jr., were the first to bring the term to the United States.
Flappers looked quite different than their counterparts from the earlier time periods. The fast, energetic dances of the Roaring Twenties required free movement. To make the flapper's movement easier, practically every piece of clothing was trimmed down. To replace the pantaloons and corsets women wore underwear called "step-ins." The outer clothing of the flappers was also rather different. The flapper look was called "garconne" or "little boy". To look more like a boy and to look more young and innocent, flappers tightly wound their chests with strips of cloth in order to flatten them (BookRags). Flappers also dropped their waists to the hipline and wore rayon stockings (About.com). The flappers' haircuts were also rather short, starting with the "bob" and the even shorter cut, the "shingle" or the "Eton" cut. They also often wore a felt, bell-shaped hat, which was called a cloche. Make-up, which before had only been worn by loose women, was now popularized by flappers.
The flappers were quite different from Victorian Era women as they were characterized by stark truthfulness, fast living, and sexual behavior (About.com). Before the Roaring Twenties, only men had smoked. Now, flappers smoked as well. However, flappers also drank alcohol. This was even more rebellious, as the U.S. had outlawed alcohol at this time (Prohibition). Some flappers even carried hip-flasks.
A favorite pastime for flappers was dancing. These new dances, such as the Charleston, Black Bottom, and the Shimmy, were considered wild by the older generations (About.com). The car was also very popular with the flappers. The back seat of the car became a popular place for petting, a new sexual activity, and some even hosted petting parties (About.com). Flappers, unlike previous generations, were very sexual.
After a while, a calmer version of the flapper became popular among more respectable women, both young and old. Finally, with the stock market crash and the Great Depression, recklessness was no longer able to continue. Still, some changes brought about by flappers remained. "Within a couple of decades, the freedom to play would grow into the freedom for women to work alongside men as well" (BookRags).
Back to Fads and Fashions
Work Consulted:
"1920s: Fashion: Flappers." BookRags. 2005-2006. U•X•L. 29 February 2008 <http://www.bookrags.com/research/1920s-fashion-bbbb-02/flappers-bbbb-02.html>.
"Flappers in the Roaring Twenties." About.com. 2008. About Inc., A Part of The New York Times Company. 26 February 2008. <http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/a/flappers.htm>.
No author. 1920's & 30's. 1 April 2007. 29 February 2008. <http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/j1q2f/?print-friendly=true>.